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At least 379 records · Page 21
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DOE OSTI2023

Bell inequalities in 2-2 scattering

We consider Bell inequalities in 2-2 scattering of photons, gravitons, fermions, and pions. We choose measurement settings that give maximum Bell violation for maximally entangled states and calculate the relevant Bell inequalities for these processes. For photon scattering at low energies, quantum electrodynamics exhibits Bell violation for all scattering angles except for a small transverse region. This leads to a fine-tuning problem. Incorporating a light axion/axionlike particle removes the fine-tuning problem and constrains the axion-coupling–axion-mass parameters. Allowing for graviton exchange and demanding Bell violation in photon scattering, we find that the weak-gravity conjecture is satisfied. Quantum gravity effects on axion coupling is discussed. For 2-2 graviton scattering, we find that CEMZ bounds allow for, at most, small Bell violations. Restriction on the Weinberg angle is found by demanding Bell violation in Bhabha scattering. We use recent $S$-matrix bootstrap data for pions and photons to study the Bell parameter in the space of allowed $S$-matrices. In the photon case, we study the Bell parameters as a function of energy and find support for the effective field theory observations. We discuss Bell parameter for pion $S$-matrices, which are qutrits. For pions, we find that there is a minimization of a suitable Bell parameter for $S$-matrices which exhibit Regge behavior.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lattice quantum chromodynamics at large isospin density

We present an algorithm to compute correlation functions for systems with the quantum numbers of many identical mesons from lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The algorithm is numerically stable and allows for the computation of n-pion correlation functions for n ϵ {1, … , N} using a single N × N matrix decomposition, improving on previous algorithms. We apply the algorithm to calculations of correlation functions with up to 6144 charged pions using two ensembles of gauge field configurations generated with quark masses corresponding to a pion mass m π = 170 MeV and spacetime volumes of (4.4 3 × 8.8) fm 4 and (5.8 3 × 11.6) fm 4 . We also discuss statistical techniques for the analysis of such systems, in which the correlation functions vary over many orders of magnitude. In particular, we observe that the many-pion correlation functions are well-approximated by log-normal distributions, allowing the extraction of the energies of these systems. Using these energies, the large-isospin-density, zero-baryon-density region of the QCD phase diagram is explored. A peak is observed in the energy density at an isospin chemical potential μ I ~ 1.5m π , signaling the transition into a Bose-Einstein condensed phase. The isentropic speed of sound, c s , in the medium is seen to exceed the ideal-gas (conformal) limit ($c^{2}_{s} ≤ 1/3)$ over a wide range of chemical potential before falling towards the asymptotic expectation at μ I ~ 15m π . These, and other thermodynamic observables, indicate that the isospin chemical potential must be large for the system to be well described by an ideal gas or perturbative QCD.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Studying 𝜋 + ⁢𝜋 − photoproduction beyond Pomeron exchange

Forward photoproduction of 𝜋 + ⁢𝜋 − pairs with invariant mass of the order of 𝑚 𝜌 ∼770 MeV is traditionally attributed to Pomeron exchange. Based on a detailed analysis of the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer photoproduction data collected at photon energies below 4 GeV, it is shown from a study of the angular moments that the dynamics of two-pion photoproduction for |𝑡| ≳ 0.5 GeV 2 cannot be explained by Pomeron exchange alone. This motivates the development of a new theoretical model of two-pion photoproduction which incorporates both two-pion and pion-nucleon resonant contributions. After fitting free parameters, the model provides an excellent description of the low moments of the angular distribution measured at CLAS and enables an assessment of the relative contributions of particular production mechanisms and an interpretation of the various features of the data in terms of these mechanisms.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Photoproduction of the f 2 ( 1270 ) Meson Using the CLAS Detector

The quark structure of the f 2 ( 1270 ) meson has, for many years, been assumed to be a pure quark-antiquark (q$\bar{q}$) resonance with quantum numbers J PC = 2 ++ . Recently, it was proposed that the f 2 ( 1270 ) is a molecular state made from the attractive interaction of two ρ mesons. Such a state would be expected to decay strongly to final states with charged pions due to the dominant decay ρ → π + π - , whereas decay to two neutral pions would likely be suppressed. Here, we measure for the first time the reaction γp → π 0 π 0 p , using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at Jefferson Lab for incident beam energies between 3.6 and 5.4 GeV. Differential cross sections, dσ/dt , for f 2 ( 1270 ) photoproduction are extracted with good precision due to low backgrounds and are compared to theoretical calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigating the p--π ± and p--p--π ± dynamics with femtoscopy in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The interaction between pions and nucleons plays a crucial role in hadron physics. It represents a fundamental building block of the low-energy QCD dynamics and is subject to several resonance excitations. This work studies the p--π ± dynamics using femtoscopic correlations in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV measured by ALICE at the LHC. As the final-state interaction between protons and pions is well constrained by scattering experiments and the study of pionic hydrogen, the results give access to information on the particle-emitting source in pp collisions using the femtoscopy methods. The scaling of the source size of primordial protons and pions against their pair transverse mass is extracted. The results are compared with the source sizes studied with p–p, p--K + , and π ± –π ± pairs by ALICE in the same collision system and are found to be in agreement for the different particle pairs. This reinforces recent findings by ALICE of a common emission source for all hadron-pairs in pp collisions at LHC energies. Furthermore, the p--p--π ± systems are studied using three-particle femtoscopy in pp collisions at TeV. The presence of three-body effects is analyzed utilizing the cumulant expansion method. In this formalism, the known two-body interactions are subtracted in order to isolate the three-body effects. For both, p--p--π + and p--p--π – , a non-zero cumulant is found, indicating effects beyond pairwise interactions. These results give information on the coupling of the pion to multiple nucleons.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bulk observables at 5.02 TeV using quasiparticle anisotropic hydrodynamics

Abstract We compare predictions of 3+1D quasiparticle anisotropic hydrodynamics (aHydroQP) for a large set of bulk observables with experimental data collected in 5.02 TeV Pb–Pb collisions. We make predictions for identified hadron spectra, identified hadron average transverse momentum, charged particle multiplicity as a function of pseudorapidity, the kaon-to-pion ( $$K/\pi $$ K / π ) and proton-to-pion ( $$p/\pi $$ p / π ) ratios, identified particle and charged particle elliptic flow, and HBT radii. We compare to data collected by the ALICE collaboration in 5.02 TeV Pb–Pb collisions. We find that, based on available data, these bulk observables are well described by aHydroQP with an assumed initial central temperature of $$T_0=630$$ T 0 = 630 MeV at $$\tau _0 = 0.25$$ τ 0 = 0.25 fm/c and a constant specific shear viscosity of $$\eta /s=0.159$$ η / s = 0.159 , which corresponds to a peak specific bulk viscosity of $$\zeta /s = 0.048$$ ζ / s = 0.048 . In particular, we find that the momentum dependence of the kaon-to-pion ( $$K/\pi $$ K / π ) and proton-to-pion ( $$p/\pi $$ p / π ) ratios reported recently by the ALICE collaboration are extremely well described by aHydroQP in the 0–5% centrality class.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Muon Decay Study at NSRL

A muon is an unstable subatomic particle, classified as a lepton according to the Standard Model. Muons are charged leptons with 1/2 spin. They were discovered by Neddermeyer and Anderson from hadronic cosmic ray showers. Figure 1 provides a visual representation of a cosmic ray shower in Earth’s atmosphere. At a height of 50 000 m in the atmosphere, a primary cosmic ray (mainly protons, helium, a heavy nucleus or a gamma ray) interacts with a gas molecule. The striking of a gas molecule creates a cosmic ray shower, where the energy of the primary particle is distributed among many secondary particles and gamma rays. With each interaction, the cosmic ray particles in the shower lose energy but distribute this energy among a higher number of particles. From the initial interaction, primarily heavy nuclei and pions are generated. Heavy nuclei will interact with gas molecules to produce protons, gamma rays, electrons and pions. The dominant decay mode of neutral pions is to two gamma rays, while charged pions decay to a muon and a neutrino (equation 1): $π^+ → µ^+$ + $\overline ν$ $_µ$; $π → µ$ $^-$ + $\overline v$ $_µ$.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Detection of MeV-Scale Gammas from Pion/Muon Nuclear Capture With the LArIAT Liquid Argon TPC

LArIAT (Liquid Argon In A Testbeam) is a LArTPC experiment at Fermilab which aims to understand and characterize interactions of neutrino final-state products with Argon. Tracks for pions and muons in LArTPCs are difficult to differentiate since both particles exhibit very similar ionization densities. We are exploring unique new particle discrimination capabilities for pions and muons by exploiting information from small, isolated ionization depositions, referred to as "blips", reconstructed near the endpoint of stopping tracks. These blips are formed by gammas emitted when an at-rest pion or muon captures on the argon nucleus. The relatively low beam energy provided by LArIAT makes it uniquely suited for performing this demonstration. In this talk, an overview of event candidate selection and reconstruct blips corresponding to our signal of interest, nuclear captures of pions and muons at rest inside LArIAT's TPC, and how we estimate and subtract backgrounds from these capture-at-rest blip signals.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of $\nu_\mu$ CC Interactions With Two-Proton Final State in MINERvA

This dissertation presents a measurement of charged–current (CC) muon–neutrino interactions with exactly two protons and no pions in the final state (CC~$2p\,0\pi$), using data collected by the MINERvA detector in the NuMI medium–energy beam at Fermilab. Such two–proton topologies are a sensitive probe of nuclear dynamics in the few–GeV regime, including multi–nucleon correlations (npnh, notably $2p2h$) and intranuclear final–state interactions (FSI) such as pion absorption and nucleon rescattering. A precise experimental characterization of these processes is essential both for neutrino–interaction theory and for reducing systematic uncertainties in oscillation experiments that rely on accurate modeling of neutrino–nucleus interactions. Events are selected by requiring a $\nu_\mu$ CC interaction with a reconstructed $\mu^-$ and two proton tracks originating from a common vertex in MINERvA’s finely segmented scintillator tracker, with no reconstructed mesons. Muon charge and momentum are constrained by matching to the MINOS Near Detector, while proton identification exploits energy–loss profiles and stopping–proton features. Backgrounds from pion–producing channels that enter the signal region through FSI or reconstruction effects are constrained with data–driven sidebands (Michel–electron and isolated–cluster “blob” samples) and tuned via a simultaneous fit across signal and sideband regions. To correct detector resolution and acceptance effects, the analysis employs iterative Bayesian unfolding with extensive validation: statistical pseudo–experiments, and robustness checks against generator systematic “universes” and additional strong shape warps. Single–differential cross sections are reported for three observables tailored to the two–proton final state: the opening–angle cosine $\cos\!\left(\theta_{pp}\right)$, the leading–proton momentum, and the subleading–proton momentum. Systematic uncertainties include contributions from neutrino flux, interaction modeling (e.g., npnh and resonance parameters, pion FSI), and detector response (calibration, reconstruction efficiencies). The resulting distributions provide targeted constraints on the interplay of multi–nucleon dynamics and FSI that shape CC~$2p\,0\pi$ final states on hydrocarbon. Comparisons to modern GENIE–based simulations highlight kinematic regions where model components require refinement. These measurements thus inform generator tuning and improve the reliability of neutrino–energy reconstruction strategies for current and future long–baseline oscillation programs.

Syrotenko, Vladyslav S. [Tufts U.]↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measurement of the π - -Ar total hadronic cross section at the LArIAT experiment

We present the first measurement of the negative pion total hadronic cross section on argon in a restricted phase space, which we performed at the Liquid Argon In A Testbeam (LArIAT) experiment. All hadronic reaction channels, as well as hadronic elastic interactions with scattering angle greater than 5° are included. The pions have kinetic energies in the range 100–700 MeV and are produced by a beam of charged particles impinging on a solid target at the Fermilab test beam facility. LArIAT employs a 0.24 ton active mass liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) to measure the pion hadronic interactions. For this measurement, LArIAT has developed the “thin slice method,” a new technique to measure cross sections with LArTPCs. While moderately higher, our measurement of the π - -Ar total hadronic cross section is generally in agreement with the geant4 prediction.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alpha-alpha scattering in the Multiverse

We investigate the phase shifts of low-energy α-α scattering under variations of the fundamental parameters of the Standard Model, namely the light quark mass, the electromagnetic fine-structure constant as well as the QCD θ-angle. As a first step, we recalculate α-α scattering in our Universe utilizing various improvements in the adiabatic projection method, which leads to an improved, parameter-free prediction of the S- and D-wave phase shifts for laboratory energies below 10 MeV. We find that positive shifts in the pion mass have a small effect on the S-wave phase shift, whereas lowering the pion mass adds some repulsion in the two-alpha system. The effect on the D-wave phase shift turns out to be more pronounced as signaled by the D-wave resonance parameters. Variations of the fine-structure constant have almost no effect on the low-energy α-α phase shifts. We further show that up-to-and-including next-to-leading order in the chiral expansion, variations of these phase shifts with respect to the QCD θ-angle can be expressed in terms of the θ-dependent pion mass.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

A light scalar explanation of (g - 2) μ and the KOTO anomaly

The KOTO experiment has recently performed a search for neutral Kaons decaying into neutral pions and a pair of neutrinos. Three events were observed in the KOTO signal region, with an expected background of about 0.05. Since no clear signal of systematic errors have been found, the excess of events in the decay K-L → π 0 v$\overline{v}$ is quite intriguing. One possibility to explain this anomaly would be the presence of a scalar $\phi$ with mass of the order of the pion mass and inducing decays K-L → π 0 $\phi$ which mimic the observed signal. A scalar with mass of the order of the pion mass and a coupling to muons of the order of the Standard Model Higgs coupling could also explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment anomaly (g - 2) μ . We built on these facts to show that a light singlet scalar with couplings to the leptons and quarks as the ones induced by mixing with Higgs states in two Higgs doublet models may lead to an explanation of both anomalies. More specifically, we show that this is the case in the so-called type-X models in which leptons and quarks couple to two different Higgs doublets, and for scalar masses that are in the range between 40 and 70 MeV. Due to the relatively large coupling to leptons required to fit (g - 2) μ , the scalar lifetime accidentally falls into the sub-nanosecond range which is essential to evade the severe proton beam dump experiments and astrophysical constraints, though it becomes sensitive to constraints from electron beam dump experiments. The additional phenomenological properties of this model are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A lattice study of ππ scattering at large N c

We present the first lattice study of pion-pion scattering with varying number of colors, N c . We use lattice simulations with four degenerate quark flavors, N f = 4, and N c = 3 – 6. We focus on two scattering channels that do not involve vacuum diagrams. These correspond to two irreducible representations of the SU(4) flavor group: the fully symmetric one, SS, and the fully antisymmetric one, AA. The former is a repulsive channel equivalent to the isospin-2 channel of SU(2). By contrast, the latter is attractive and only exists for N f ≥ 4. A representative state is (|D$^{+}_{s}$π + > – | D + K + >)/√2. Using Lüscher’s formalism, we extract the near-threshold scattering amplitude and we match our results to Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) at large N c . For this, we compute the analytical U(N f ) ChPT prediction for two-pion scattering, and use the lattice results to constrain the N c scaling of the relevant low-energy couplings.

1/N Expansion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark showers from sneaky dark matter

We present a minimal composite dark matter model, based on a SU(Nd) dark sector with nf dark quarks and a heavy t-channel mediator. For nf ≥ 4, the dark flavor symmetry guarantees the stability of a subset of the dark pions, which serve as our dark matter candidates. Their relic abundance is determined by dark sector annihilation with the remaining dark pions, which are unstable and decay. Due to their degenerate masses, the annihilation cross section is suppressed at low temperatures, thereby avoiding stringent constraints from indirect detection and opening up the GeV mass window. The decaying dark pions are naturally long lived. We obtain limits on the model from semi-visible or emerging jet searches and estimate the reach of future probes.

ALPs↗
DOE OSTI2025

Circles and triangles, the NLSM and Tr(Φ 3 )

A surprising connection has recently been made between the amplitudes for Tr(Φ 3 ) theory and the non-linear sigma model (NLSM). A simple shift of kinematic variables naturally suggested by the associahedron/stringy representation of Tr(Φ 3 ) theory yields pion amplitudes at all loops. In this note we provide an elementary motivation and proof for this link going in the opposite direction, starting from the non-linear sigma model and discovering its formulation as a sum over triangulations of surfaces with simple numerator factors. This uses an ancient connection between “circles” and “triangles”, interpreting the equation y = $\sqrt{1 – x^2}$ both as parametrizing points a circle as well as generating the number of triangulations of polygons. A further simplification of the numerator factors exposes them as arising from the kinematically shifted Tr(Φ3) theory, and gives rise to novel tropical representations of NLSM amplitudes. The connection to Tr(Φ 3 ) theory defines a natural notion of “surface-soft limit” intrinsic to curves on surfaces. Remarkably, with this definition, the soft limit of pion amplitudes vanishes directly at the level of the integrand, via obvious pairwise cancellations. We also give simple, explicit expressions for the multi-soft factors for tree and loop-level integrands in the limit as any number of pions are taken “surface-soft”.

Scattering Amplitudes↗
DOE OSTI2023

$f$ 0 (980) production in inelastic pp collisions at s = 5.02 TeV

The measurement of the production of f 0 (980) in inelastic pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV is presented. This is the first reported measurement of inclusive f 0 (980) yield at LHC energies. The production is measured at midrapidity, |y| < 0.5, in a wide transverse momentum range, 0 < p T < 16 GeV/c, by reconstructing the resonance in the f 0 (980) → π + π - hadronic decay channel using the ALICE detector. The p T -differential yields are compared to those of pions, protons and $φ$ mesons as well as to predictions from the HERWIG 7.2 QCD-inspired Monte Carlo event generator and calculations from a coalescence model that uses the AMPT model as an input. The ratio of the p T -integrated yield of f 0 (980) relative to pions is compared to measurements in e + e - and pp collisions at lower energies and predictions from statistical hadronisation models and HERWIG 7.2. A mild collision energy dependence of the f 0 (980) to pion production is observed in pp collisions from SPS to LHC energies. All considered models underpredict the p T -integrated 2f 0 (980)/(π + +π - ) ratio. The prediction from the canonical statistical hadronisation model assuming a zero total strangeness content of f 0 (980) is consistent with the data within 1.9σ and is the closest to the data. The results provide an essential reference for future measurements of the particle yield and nuclear modification in p–Pb and Pb–Pb collisions, which have been proposed to be instrumental to probe the elusive nature and quark composition of the f 0 (980) scalar meson.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Timelike form factor for the anomalous process γ⁎π → ππ

The form factor 𝐹 3𝜋 (𝑠, 𝑡, 𝑢) for the anomalous process 𝛾∗𝜋 → 𝜋𝜋 is calculated in the isospin limit for several values of the light current-quark mass (i.e., the pion mass) using Dyson–Schwinger and Bethe–Salpeter equations. Beyond a quark interaction kernel representing gluon-mediated interactions, leading beyond-rainbow-ladder effects at low energies are incorporated by back-coupling pions as explicit degrees of freedom. Building upon an earlier calculation of the quark-photon vertex that captures the branch cut associated with the two-pion threshold and the ρ-meson resonance, the form factor 𝐹 3𝜋 (𝑠, 𝑡, 𝑢) is determined for timelike Mandelstam s. In particular, predictions are made for the kinematics relevant to the Primakoff reaction studied with COMPASS/AMBER at CERN.

Miramontes, Angel S. [Univ. of Valencia (Spain)] (↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electromagnetic shower reconstruction and energy validation with Michel electrons and π 0 samples for the deep-learning-based analyses in MicroBooNE

This article presents the reconstruction of the electromagnetic activity from electrons and photons (showers) used in the MicroBooNE deep learning-based low energy electron search. The reconstruction algorithm uses a combination of traditional and deep learning-based techniques to estimate shower energies. We validate these predictions using two v μ -sourced data samples: charged/neutral current interactions with final state neutral pions and charged current interactions in which the muon stops and decays within the detector producing a Michel electron. Both the neutral pion sample and Michel electron sample demonstrate agreement between data and simulation. Finally, the absolute shower energy scale is shown to be consistent with the relevant physical constant of each sample: the neutral pion mass peak and the Michel energy cutoff.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗